5 Steelers surprises in Monday Night win over the Bears

The Steelers defeated the Bears on Monday Night Football, 29-27, in a primetime game that had a lot of surprises!

Well, maybe not as many as before, but there were a handful of notable items that stood out to me on Monday. Here are my picks for the surprises from that game.

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Pat Freiermuth

There are some players that we’re becoming comfortable with being surprised by. Nearly all of them made the list again this week, but Pat Freiermuth is beginning to create expectations, as the Steelers rookie tight end torched the Bears for two touchdowns Monday night.

One of those touchdowns was yet another wild catch, as Bears CB Kindle Vildor was all over the tight end – and even penalized for pass interference – on the play. That didn’t prevent Freiermuth from scoring, however.

While Freiermuth is fourth in receptions and receiving yards on the team, he now leads the Steelers with four touchdowns this season.

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Cameron Heyward

Each week Heyward continues to ascend to a league-wide recognition as one of the elite players at his position.

This week our resident favorite “Grown Ass Man” did the unthinkable, as he batted a pass and then caught it for an interception.

Surprising? Yes.

The stuff of legend? Also yes.

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T.J. Watt

Three more sacks added to his total plus a hellacious batted pass attempt late in the game by Justin Fields also adds to T.J. Watt’s growing legend, which is trending toward another Defensive Player of the Year candidacy.

As of publication, Watt is only a half sack behind league leader, the Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett.

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Chris Boswell

One week after having his head removed from his shoulders during a fake play, Chris Boswell found himself in the right place, at the right time, as the recipient of a fumbled kickoff return by the Bears’ Jakeem Grant.

The ball was lodged loose by Steelers CB James Pierre, with the pigskin bouncing in a straight line right to Boswell, who fielded it as if he were in the Major Leagues.

But that’s not all: The Wizard of Boz is an ice cold killer on the field, hitting not one, but two 50+ field goal attempts (52, 54) as well as a 40-yard game-winner Monday night.

He now owns the franchise record of field goals made from 50+ also, with 13 total.

Boswell also surprised us with a missed extra point attempt. (I guess you have to keep us guessing?!)

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Close Game

Honestly, I didn’t think this one would be as close as it was. Part of that was due to an awful officiating crew, where most Bears fans believe the Steelers benefitted too much from their undisciplined team.

The truth is somewhere in the middle.

The Steelers were up 14-0 until the Bears put three points on the board to close the first half. The Steelers offense received the ball to start the third quarter, but promptly when three-and-out following a roughing the passer call which almost never gets called for Ben Roethlisberger.

The next Bears possession had a questionable bobbling catch by WR Marquise Goodwin ruled as such – Coach Mike Tomlin challenged the play, but it was upheld.

That’s when the referees had a makeup call, a questionable low block on T.J. Watt which was on the edge of the “tight end box”. That negated a Bears touchdown and they would settle for yet another field goal.

Later in the game, Steelers PR Ray-Ray McCloud would cough up a fumble, which was actually pinned to his hip when his wrist/elbow made contact with the ground. McCloud would also fall on top of the ball as well, but that amount of movement was a fumble unlike the “possession” shown (or not) by Goodwin earlier.

A taunting call put the icing on the cake for Chicago, as former Steelers LB Cassius Marsh celebrated a sack, then did a roundhouse kick in the air, then carried on and continued toward the Steelers bench, giving a stare down with a bit of a head bob. As he retreated back to his own sideline, the defender bumped referee Tony Corrente, who was already on his trigger to throw a flag – for taunting.

The Steelers didn’t capitalize on this, only scoring three and allowed the Bears to take a one-point lead, possible due to Boswell’s earlier PAT miss.

If not for McCloud’s turnover returned for a touchdown, The Steelers would’ve had the ball up ten points (instead of three) and perhaps pushed further away with Boswell’s field goal making it 13. Instead, the game was too close for comfort and irritated a lot of fans on both sides.

Regardless, a win is a win. I just wish it didn’t have to be in surprising fashion!


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